1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for limiting the consumption of objects. More particularly, the invention relates to a cigarette case with means to control the timed dispensing of cigarettes for helping a smoker control the number of cigarettes consumed in a predetermined period of time, and to thereby assist the smoker in reducing the number of cigarettes smoked and/or to quit smoking.
2. Prior Art
The health risks associated with smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products are well known. Additionally, there is a substantial economic cost to individuals and to society as a whole resulting from addiction to smoking cigarettes. Because of the health risks and economic costs, many people desire to quite smoking, but find it very difficult due to psychological and physiological dependency associated with cigarette smoking.
A variety of devices and methods have been developed in the prior art for assisting people in their efforts to quit smoking. These prior art devices and methods include hypnosis, chewing gum, patches applied to the skin, and containers for holding a quantity of cigarettes and dispensing them only at timed intervals. Timed dispensing of cigarettes can be particularly useful in overcoming both habitual smoking and chemical dependency on cigarettes.
Habitual smokers associate the smoking of a cigarette with various activities, and whenever the person engages in that activity, he or she tends to light a cigarette almost reflexively. Since these activities may be common events that occur frequently during a routine day, many persons smoke a large number of cigarettes purely out of habit by consciously or subconsciously associating smoking with the activity. Habitual smoking may therefore be controlled by disassociating the smoking of a cigarette from the activity. Controlled or timed dispensing of cigarettes can be effective in doing this because availability of a cigarette can be withheld during the activity until the habit is overcome.
Chemical dependency is more difficult to overcome. As with all chemical addictions, it is very difficult to cease consumption all at once. Cessation of smoking produces powerful cravings that are likely to result in the resumption of the addictive behavior. However, chemical dependency may be controlled by a gradual withdrawal that produces more tolerable side effects.
The control of both habitual and chemically addictive smoking requires the exercise of great will power, particularly without the aid of some external device, and a deliberate and conscious effort must be made to not smoke a cigarette whenever the desire occurs, whether from habit or chemical addiction. Unfortunately, the very act of concentrating on the effort to stop smoking places the act of smoking almost constantly in the person's thoughts, which itself can lead to a greater desire to smoke.
Thus, devices which limit the availability of cigarettes can obviate the need to constantly be thinking about smoking in an effort to resist the desire to smoke a cigarette. Devices which have been developed in the prior art for the timed dispensing of cigarettes are exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,649,753, 2,812,851, 3,424,123, 4,076,118 and 4,862,431.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,649,753 discloses a cigarette case having a timing indicator on its outer surface which may be reset each time the case is opened to indicate a time at which a cigarette may be smoked. Thus, each time a person opens the case to retrieve a cigarette, he or she resets the timing indicator to a selected future time at which a subsequent cigarette may be smoked. However, there is nothing to prevent the person from opening the case and retrieving one or more cigarettes at any time the person desires, or from retrieving more than one cigarette when the proper time has elapsed. The timing indicator is merely a visual reminder that a preset time has not yet been reached.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,812,851 discloses a time-controlled cigarette case having a plurality of cigarettes contained therein in individual compartments closed by a movable cover that is retracted to sequentially uncover the compartments in a timed sequence as determined by a timing mechanism. Only one cigarette may be retrieved at a time from this device, but the timing mechanism may be adjusted to a faster setting so that the individual compartments are uncovered more rapidly than may have been originally desired. Thus, a person could initially intend to have a cigarette available only every two hours, for example, and set the timing mechanism accordingly. However, if the person becomes impatient, it is possible to reset the timer so that a subsequent cigarette becomes available more quickly. This at least partially defeats the purpose of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,424,123 describes a cigarette case which has a timing mechanism and an audible signalling device that emits a signal upon the elapse of a preselected time interval to indicate to a person that a cigarette may now be withdrawn and smoked. There is nothing in this patent that prevents the person from gaining access to the cigarettes in the case, but relies instead upon the person exercising will power to avoid lighting a cigarette until the expiration of the preset time interval. Moreover, it is possible for the user to reset the time to shorter time intervals, if desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,118 discloses a device for timed dispensing of cigarettes, in which the cover remains locked until elapse of a predetermined time interval, thereby preventing access to the cigarettes until the predetermined time has expired. However, access to the entire contents of the case is possible when it is opened, whereby multiple cigarettes may be withdrawn, defeating the purpose of the timing mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,431 discloses a cigarette case with an electronic timing device which causes a pleasing sound to be emitted when a predetermined time interval has elapsed, to indicate to the person that it is permissible to open the case and retrieve a cigarette. If an effort is made to open the case prematurely, an irritating sound is emitted. However, it is possible for a person to open this device at any time to retrieve one or more cigarettes, thereby defeating it.
Accordingly, there is need for a dispensing device for cigarettes which permits access to only one cigarette at a time, and which prevents access to a cigarette until a preset time interval has elapsed, and which prevents the smoker from resetting the time intervals to shorter times once they have been set.